Hat on Top, Coat Below

PT Day 1

June 4, 2007

This morning I went in for my first real session with the physical therapist I saw before Memorial Day. I had the idea that this session, billed as a “biomechanical assessment”, would be a longer, more in-depth version of the initial consultation. At first it was. The therapist/trainer, Rylie, had me assume various positions on a table while she stretched this joint and that and compared tightness on the right side with tightness on the left. This time, though, she added some equipment into the mix. She looped a strap around my right thigh and then tugged on it repeatedly; I should have asked why but I was distracted by trying to figure out if the popping I felt in my hip was audible. Later she got out what looked like a very odd rolling pin and spent some time working that over my ilio-tibial band to release it–ouch.

Then it was time to go into the gym. I figured she’d have me do a few more balance exercises and maybe some squats (since she hadn’t really liked the ones I did during the consultation) and then we’d talk about the workouts I’d be doing for the rest of the month. But no, that it not what happened. There was talking, yes, but there was also genuine working out, complete with sweat running into my eyes and everything. Not fair. None of the exercises seemed that hard on their own, but add up all the repetitions Rylie wanted of all the different ones and I was feeling it. I’m still feeling it. I bet I’ll be feeling it even more tomorrow.

I’m glad I decided to spend the money for these one-on-one sessions. I’ve gotten so good at compensating for the imbalances and weaknesses in my muscles that it’s automatic. Now I’m starting to notice what I’m doing and learning better ways to deal with the problem. It would be easier to just give up running–I’m able to work around the issue pretty much all the rest of the time–but I’d rather not. Which is sort of crazy, considering how skeptical I was about the whole running idea in the first place.